astroengine writes: "Using elevation data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, software engineer Kevin Gill was inspired to create a virtual version of the red planet with a difference. "I had been doing similar models of Earth and have seen attempts by others of showing life on Mars, so I figured I'd give it a go," Gill told Discovery News. "It was a good way to learn about the planet, be creative and improve the software I was rendering it in." He included oceans, lakes, clouds and a biosphere — a view of a hypothetical ancient Mars that looks wonderfully homely."Link to Original Source